National Take a Hike Day 11/17

/ Pat Dolan Trail/

Happy National Take a Hike Day!

This blog post is written by Lee Hittner-Cunningham, the Alliance’s Natural Areas Stewardship Coordinator who is serving in partnership with Americorps.

This day, established by the American Hiking Society, is observed annually on November 17th to encourage all people to take advantage of America’s trails and raise awareness of the positive impact hiking can have on your mind and the body. 

If you’re looking to take a hike here in Queens, we invite you to walk the Pat Dolan Trail around Willow Lake. It is one of the few natural area trails in New York City; a truly rare luxury in the concrete jungle!

This trail offers a quiet respite from the speed and sound of the city, and is populated by a variety of trees and animals. On your walk, you may spot cottonwood, oak trees, and willows. Keep your ears open for the sounds of bird calls.

Halfway down the trail, there’s a fork leading to Willow Lake, where you can enjoy the view across the water. We ask that you use this trail rather than cutting through the trees to get to the water–let’s respect our wildlife neighbors and not disrupt their habitat!

Willow Lake is home to many waterbirds, including black ducks, mallards, and cormorants. If you look to the sky, you might spot a red tailed hawk. An urban hike is an opportunity to slow down, enjoy the natural world, and remember the many non-human New Yorkers with whom we share the city.

As members of our community and users of the trail, we ask that you help care for it. Here are some simple things you can do to keep the Pat Dolan Trail beautiful and safe for all the living things that share it:

  • Not littering, and helping us clean up litter when you can safely do so

  • Staying on the trail and leaving

  • Appreciating the trees and wildlife from a respectful distance

We also welcome you to trail maintenance and appreciation events we will be holding in the coming months. The work we’re doing includes cleanup, desire line closures, and flood mitigation.

Join our Stewardship Team mailing list or check our calendar to be the first to know when new volunteer opportunities are announced.

Happy Trails! We’ll see you in the park.